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UNITED STATES lPATENT OEEICE.

HENRY E. VAITE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO ll. O. MINER, TRUSTEE,OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRICAL THEATRICAL APPLIANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 513,850, dated January30, 1894. Application filed August Z9, 1893. Serial No. 484,302. (Nomodel.)

To all whom, t may concern.:

Be it known that I, HENRY E. VVAITE, a citi- Zen of the United States,residing in the city, county, and State of New York,have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Theatrical Appliances,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to theatrical appliances adapted to be used inconnection with theatrical displays of various kinds, the object beingbroadly to provide means whereby the actor or performer can readily,easily and quickly, through automatic mechanisms, produce variouseffects in harmony with or accompaniment with the performance, such forinstance, as operating musical instruments, moving scenery or mechanicalfigures, or anything of the kind, and to these ends my inventionconsists in a construction embodying the general features, substantiallyas hereinafter more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Ihave illustrated so much of an apparatusembodying the general principles of my invention as will enable thoseskilled in the art to understand and use the same, and Figure 1, is apartial perspective and partial diagrammatic view, showing one way ofoperating my device. Fig. 2, is a plan view of a portion of Fig. 1 andFig. 3 is a diagram of one arrangement of part of the circuits, and Fig.4,is an enlarged sectional view of one form of circuit-controlleradapted to be used in carrying out my invention.

In theatrical or similar performances, it is often desirable to add tothe effect of the performance by incorporating therewith at proper timesand in proper relations thereto, certain mechanical, musical or othereffects, such as illumination, te., and it is also desirable to haveappliances whereby the performer may readily and quickly bring theseadjunctive devices into co-operation with his performance at will,through the means of automatic mechanism, and it is the object of myinvention to provide such means, which shall be simple and effective,and capable of being adapted formany and various purposes.

My invention embodies a number of circuit controllers, properly arrangedin connection with the stage and having electrical connectionswithvarious devices, whereby the movements or operation of these devices canbe controlled by the performer, andi have shown a platform A, which maybe a portion of the regular stage, or may be a supplementary portion,and this platform is provided with a number of circuit controllers B.These controllers are arranged so that they project but slightly abovethe face of the platform, and 6o in such positions that they can beoperated by the foot or other portion of the performer. rlhus, I haveshown a series of push-buttons embedded in the body of the platform, and

having electrical connections with the various devices which are to beoperated thereby.

For instance, the controller B', is connected with a circuit C,including a battery and a musical instrument shown for the sake ofsimplicity as a bell, and it will be readily un- 7o dei-stood that anyother instrument may be used, and any number of them, the circuitcontrollers being arranged so that by operating any particularcontroller a particular sound or musical tone or other signal will beproduced. The circuit controllers 132,133, for instance, are connectedwith an electric circuit O, including a relay D, and the armature ofthis relay is connected to operate a reversing switch E, controllingacircuit E of 8o an electro-motor F. The circuit C in the presentinstance, is arranged so that on pressing the controller B2, thecontacts c, c, c', c', will be closed, while on pressing the controllerB3, the contacts c2, c2, c3, c3, will be closed, thus S 5 reversing thedirection of the current of the y battery or generator X, and operatingthe relay D to move the armature to one extreme or the other of itspositions, and thereby remove the pole-changer E, to reverse the cur- 9orent through the motor F. This arrangement of circuits is only given asan example, as any electrician will understand that the circuits can bechanged or arranged in any wellknown Way to produce the desired results.

This motor F is shown in the present instance as mounted on or connectedwith a mechanical figure Gr, which is shown in a conventional way, andas being provided with rollers g,

adapted to run upon a way H, in proper re roo lation with the stage, andit will be seen that the performer, by operating the proper controllercan cause the mechanical ligure to move back or forth, and off thestage, or to perform other arrangements, according to the nature of thecase. In this instance, I have shown the motor as mounted on the ligureand moving therewith, but it is evident that the motor can be stationaryand be connected by suitable belts, bands, or otherwise, with thefigure.

While I have shown the circuit connected with the mechanical figure, itis evident that other devices may be substituted; that for instance, thescenes may be shifted; thatillu minating eects may be controlled, and infact any well-known and desirable eifect can be produced on or near thestage, automatically by the performer; for instance, some of thecontrollers can be connected to the instruments of the orchestra, orwith other appliances in different parts of the theater or hall whilethe performance is taking place, and without attempting to enumerate allthe adaptations and uses of myinvention, I have shown enough to clearlyset forth the principles thereof, so that those skilled in the art canreadily avail themselves of the benefits of my invention.

While I have shown push-buttons mounted in the platform, it is evidentthat other wellknown circuit controllers can be used, it only f beingnecessary to provide some simple and effective means so arranged thattheperformer f may readily operate the controllers in a natural andgraceful manner, without attracting too much attention to the movementsof the performer in accomplishing this result.

I am aware that it is old to provide printing telegraphs and typewritingdevices with a series of banks of key-levers arranged to controlelectric circuits, which in turn control the various printingmechanisms, and I do not claim any such construction.

' 1. In a theatrical appliance, the combination with a platform adaptedto support the performer and having circuit-controllers connectedtherewith adapted to be operated by the foot of the performer, ofcircuits connected with the controllers, motors operated by saidcircuits, and devices connected with said motors to be operated thereby,substantially as described.

2. In a theatrical appliance, the combination with a platform andcircuit controllers thereon arranged to be operated by the performer, ofa track, mechanical appliances mounted on the track, a motor connectedwith said appliances, and circuits between the circuit controllers andmotor, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY E. WAITE.

